Knitting machine



`P`. H.. FRYER.

KNITTl-NG MACHINEg APPLICATION man J'UNE 29,1920.

1,416,186. Patented May 16, 19221 ein PAUL E. nanna, or PHILADELPHIA', rmINsYLvANm.

Hmmm@ Maonnm.

intense.

Improvement in Knitting Machines, of

which the following is a specification.

My invention has for its object the pro-` vision of means in a knitting machine for holding 'the end of a splice thread (when out of operation) in such manner that it will be positively retained in the thread clamp while the needles are caused to engage it during its introduction into thea knitted tube inthe course of its production, as when introducing a reinforcing or splice thread during the knitting of the sole and back portion of the A`stocking to the rear of the ankle.

My invention is especially applicable to that class of knitting machine in whichthe central space of the needle cylinder is occupied with a-thread clamp and cutter device Whose function is toV retain the severed ends of af plurality of threads during the introduction of the thread or yarn to the needlesl under the control of automatically actuated thread guides during the knitting operation; and consists in providing the usual main thread clamp and cutters .with an auxiliary thread clamp, preferably gravity actuated, between the said main thread clamp and the needles, for receiving and retaining the custody of the splice thread when out of feeding position and.

for` adding thereupon an additional friction nat and durino' the beginning of the initial feeding preliminary to the interknitting of the yarnor thread into the tubular fabric, to provide a suflicient clamping action to prevent the yarn bein drawn out of the main clamp and release from the needles during its said initial introduction from the needles for reinforcing purposes. In the type of machine above referred to. there are a number of thread guides for introducing and putting out ofaction different yarn and those out of action are held by the yarn clamp While the remaining thread or threads are being knitted.` When it is required to change the body yarn, it is necessary for the yarn clamp to be positively opened to enable the yarn to be drawn into the clamp and clamped thereby before it is severed. At the time of thus opening the yarn clamp, the reinforcing or splice thread Speeication of Letters Patent. Ptgnted Application filed June 29,v .1920. Serial No. 392,660.

May 16, i922..

which is to be introduced is then being drawnthrough its yarn guide by the rotating needle cylinder and as this must continue for approximately a third of the revv olution before the splice thread is intel"- sraras ria-TENT oraison. i i

knitted with the tubular fabric, it is es,-

sential that the thread shall be at least initially held by other means than the regular yarn clamp to prevent `it from becoming disengaged from 'the needles, because immediately before it would be interknitted,

the main yarn clamp is open and the splice threadwould, therefore, be disengaged and fail to-beproperly fed to the machine. By' the presence of my improved auxiliar thread clamp., l am enabled to apply su ficient clamping action upon the splice thread that it is not disengaged before the main clamp is readjusted to clamping action andthe splice yarn becomes positively interknitted with the tubular fabric.

My invention also consists' of improvements hereinafter described -whereb the above objects and results are attaine said improvements comprising certain organiza tion and combination of parts which are fully described hereinafter and more particularly defined in the claims.

Referring to the drawing: .Fig-1 is a plan view of a portion of a knitting machine embodying my improvements; Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same; Fig. 3 is a perspective View of the thread clamping means thereof; Fig. 4 is anelevation showing my impro-ved clamp; Fig. 5v is a cross section taken on line of Fig. l; and Fig. 6 is a cross section on line' g/-y of Fig. 1.

2 is the rotating needle head having the usual vertically reciprocating needles 3. 'The yarns or threads 12 are fed to the needles from the thread guides 4, which are hinged at 5 and adapted to be respectively thrown dovvn into feeding position by springs 4a As shown, there are a plurality of these.

special strengthening of the heel and toe portions. Normally, one of these thread guides, at a time, ,are in operation to supply yarn to the needles while the remainder hold their thread clear of the needles. The ends of the yarns or threads extending from the guides4 are held in the clamp 7 within the area of the circular row of needles. 8 is a stationary plate withinthe needle head and is sustained in sition by frame 9. The plate 8 is provid with the usual clamp 7 comprising a clamping jaw 10 which is loosely hinged at 11 and yieldingly pressed downward by spring 10a to clamp the severed ends ot the yarn or threads 12. A cutter 13 is provided for severing the yarnor threads between the clamp 10 and the needles whenever the yarn is thrown out of knitting engagement with the needles by the thread guides 4. The usual means for operating the cutter 13 is a lever 22 which os cillates upon a tulcrum 23 and is normally held upward by spring 24, saidk lever being operated by pattern mechanism (not shown) rlhis lever also acts upon the pivoted clamp plate 10 to slightly lift it when introducing the threads into clamping position. All of the foregoing mechanism is common in knitting machines in commerical use'and will need no further descrip-tion. i

ln operation, the thread 12 to be knitted is lowered' between the needles 3 and is engaged thereby and knitted in the usual manner. As the needle cylinder rotates, the end of the thread yheld in clamp 7 is pulled therefrom after the thread has been knitted intothe tubular fabric for approximately a third otits circumference and hence at a time when there is no possibility of its being pulled out or' the clamp before the knitting therewith l will now refer to the means for introducing the splice thread 14 and otherwise controlling it, and to which my invention more especially relates. 15 is a thread guide for introducing the splice thread 14 into engagement 4with the needles. lt is pivoted at 16 and combined with means under the control ot' pattern mechanism P for raising and lowering it at stated intervals, such as when introducing a reinforcing or splice thread into the sole and back of the ankle of the stocking. A stop 17 is employed on the thread guide 15 to limit its downward movement and hold its free or eye end in proper vfeeding position, as when feeding the splice thread 14 to the needles. The thread 14, after passing through the-eye of the thread guide 15, passes between the edge 18 of the stationary plate 8 and the auxiliary clamp plate 19 supported immediately above it and normally resting upon it. rlhis clamp plate 19 has its under edge curved at one end at 2() to permit ready entrance of the thread when taking a position under it. The clamp plate 19 is loosely held in position by a retaining screw 21 which extends through a slot 19a in the plate (Fig. 4) by which it is attached to the frame 9. In this manner the clamp plate may have slight vertical and oscillatoi'y movement, so that it is free to act remise guide 15 and normally held above the nee- I dles. When this splice thread is to beintroduced, the thread guide 15 is lowered by the pattern mechanism with the result ot placin the thread la between the needles 3, which on advancing pull upon the thread intermediate of its position in the'clamp plate 19 and thread guide l5 and because of the additional tension due to the clamp plate 19 the thread is drawn throughfthe guide 15 without being pulled out of the main clamp 7 In thismanner suiicient thread 14: is supplied, so that wh an it is pulled from beneath the clampplate 19 and ready for knitting, the knitting operation may 4take place without danger of pulling the end of the thread out of the main clamp 7 before it is interknitted with the tubular 'knitted fabric; after which, the further rotation ,of the needle 4 cylinder e causes the end of the thread 14 to be pulled out ot the clamp k7,.

as in the case of the body yarn.

`When the splice thread 14 isrto be put out of. action, the thread guide 15 is raised so that the thread is lifted clear of the needles; and as the needle cylinder rotates, the thread is drawn under both the auxiliary clamp 19 and the spring actuated jaw 10 of clamp 7 and the cutter 13, to the dotted position 14, I

Fig. 1, at which time the cutter descends and severs the thread between the clamp 7 and needles-3, thereby bringing the splicing thread once more to its original position, as shown. i' i The essential featureo my invention is the provision of the supplemental or auxiliary splice thread clamp 19, positioned to clamp the thread intermediate of the main thread clamp 7 and the splice thread guide 15, the said auxiliary clamp 19Apret'erably at approximately right angles to the main Aclamp and acting to hold the thread sutilciently to relieve the strain upon the main `clamp 7, until the yarn takes the position 14", at which v'time it is drawn laterally from under the clamp plate 19 and its rictional contact with the needles at llc is suflicient to insure feeding of the yarn from the thread guide 15; and thereafter, the danger of withdrawing the thread from the main clamp 7 before interknitting begins at A., is over. By the time the beginning of the .interknitting reaches the position A, the .end ot the thread 14 is withdrawnfrom clamp 19.

When the splice thread 14 is to go out of action, the thread guide 15 is raised, thereby causing thethread to pass above the needles and to the inner circular space, and as the needle cylinder rotates, the thread is carried and reliable results, it is to be understood' that I do not restrict myself to the details, as the same are susceptible of modification in various particulars without. departing from the spirit or scope of the invention.

Having now described my invention, what I claim asnew and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A knitting machine having a needle cylinder` and needles therefor, a thread guide for feeding a body thread to the needlesa thread guide for feeding a splicing thread to the needles, means for putting the thread guides into and out of feeding action, a main thread clamp andcutter and supporting plate therefor arranged within the needle cylinder for respectively holding the thread ends and severing the threads between the clamp and fabric on'the needles, combined with an auxiliary clamp arranged within the needle cylinder to provide additionalclamping action upon the splicing thread, said auxiliary clamp arranged out of alinement with the body thread and its guide, whereby an additional clamping of the splicing thread may be had to prevent it from becoming released from the main clamp vat the time the splicing thread is fed to the needles and before it is knitted into the fabric.

2. The invention according to claim 1, further characterized by having the auxiliary splice thread clamp formed to act by gravity, whereby a substantially constant clamping pressure is obtained.

The invention according to claim 1, further characterized by the auxiliary clamp being made of a loosely supported bar resting upon a clamping edge of the plate supporting the* main clamp.

4. rlhe invention according to claim 1, wherein the additional auxiliary clamp for the splicing thread is angularly disposed in respect to the main clamp, whereby it applies a clamping action upon the splicing thread when extending substantially at right angles to the direction of the body thread leading to the main clamp.

The invention according to claim 1, wherein the auxiliary clamp for the splice thread comprises an elongated bar having a vertical slot in its middle and around the front portion, and held in place upon the frame of the main clamp and cutter by 1n testimony of which invention,vI hereunto set my hand. y

PAULH. FRYER. 

